Patching and Projection of Multiple Overlapping Images onto 3-D Developable Structures

AbstractThis article describes a system for integrating several overlapping images and then projecting them onto a 3-D developable composite surface. Such a system has potential applications in automated inspection of the interior and exterior of developable surfaces in poor visibility and difficult-to-reach environments such as pipes and tanks. The system consists of two parts. The first is image patching, in which a sequence of overlapping images grabbed through a moving camera are put together in one big image. The second part involves the mapping of this resulting patched image onto a 3-D developable surface. Simulation results are presented, validating the algorithms developed.